Over 800 poems later, here I am, still
in one piece after having read all of them. No sifting here! And no, the
process wasn’t an ordeal. Instead, it was enlightening in terms of
understanding my own subjective tastes.
As a reader and editor, I’m not
wanting to be surprised, a desire I’ve heard several other poetry editors
mention over the last few months. In fact, this feels like a worrying trend,
driven by their understandable saturation. The consequent problem is that
understated, restrained or layered poems are often penalised in the submissions
process, and they tend to be among the most interesting ones.
Enough of what I don’t want though.
What did make me select the poems that are included in this issue? Well, I’ve
been drawn to a sense of line and its inherent tensions, to a concise, precise
and fresh use of language (without the need for fireworks unless they play an
intrinsic role in the poem’s purpose), to a naturally heightened cadence, to a
delving into the universal via the specific, to an emotional awareness of the
reader’s role. Not much to ask, I hear you say!
This means that self-expression on the
part of the poet wasn’t enough when I was considering submissions. Instead, I
believe the poems I’ve chosen are reaching out to us and are always aware of
our presence. They invite us into their worlds, before encouraging us to
revisit our own worlds in light of theirs. These poems moved me and changed me,
which was a privilege. I’m delighted and proud to share them with you today.
In Denise Riley’s recent short collection of essays, A Chorus of Ears
(Picador), she reflects on the way the persona of the poet frequently gets
in the way...
